WHITE ROSE IS ADVERTISING REVISED LABEL

RICHARD TURCSIK

SOMERSET, N.J. -- White Rose Food Corp. here has made the first major redesign to its product label in several decades and is using a major advertising campaign to alert consumers to the change.

The advertising campaign began earlier this year and includes coupons, newsprint, more than 250 billboards and 180 bus routes throughout the New York metropolitan area. The campaign uses the theme "Brand New Label, Same Great Quality," and the signs use a collage of the new White Rose label branded products.

The new label keeps a red, white and blue color scheme, but instead of a rectangle it uses a diagonal stripe with a circular insignia in the middle. Above the circle appears "Quality" and below appears "Value." The phase-in of the new label is almost complete, according to Frank D. Manetta, senior vice president.

"About 80% to 85% of the label is done and in the stores, and the rest should be in by April. This is being phased in gradually. This project has been ongoing for a good solid year. I thought it was about time to get the billboards up and tell the customers the story," Manetta told SN.

He said a redesign of the label was desperately needed.

"White Rose has been around for 120 years, and it has basically been the same label, so it needed updating," he said.

"As a wholesaler, we want to make sure that we have an attractive and pleasing label to consumers. We did some focus groups and redesigned the label based on what Mrs. Consumer said she liked," Manetta explained.